Episode 27: Hunted
by echrome
Summary: All Vash ever wanted was to live a normal, peaceful life. A life with no wars, nor stealing. A place where people can live as people...This story continues off from where the anime ended
1. Prologue

Nothing could be heard outside the small village that lied 200 iles from LR.

Nothing but the gentle gust of wind.. and the treading sound of footsteps.

Bright sunlight shone easily through the cloudless, blue sky, high above them, while the figure dressed in brown and black moved slowly through the arid desert, passing cliffs and rock formations.

He was walking, clutching the limp body swung over his shoulder.. and allowing his vision of the desert land before him to merge with memories…

Gunshots.

A pair of eyes peered deep into his soul.

A brightening glow..

Tears that ran down her cheeks.

.. A blinding explosion.

From afar, the only hint that there were two souls beyond the village, was a diminutive speck of light. The eyes that hid behind the glaring orange shades closed with concentration.

__

No one has the right to take the life of another.

He understood it now, the very last words she had told him. It had never made sense all these years, but finally he knew the answer to it. He would walk his own path by depending less on what his memory tells him, and more on what his heart and mind believes. Not that she was ever wrong in her beliefs. But because Rem had wanted him to discover life for himself. He should have realised it earlier, from his experiences, from the people he met. But before he could live his life the way he always wanted, there was still one thing left to do. He glanced slightly over his shoulder.

In time, Knives' wounds would heal…

…and the terror would start all over again.

-

****

Moments earlier..

Silence made up the interior of the metal-plated ship...

The controls lay untouched, the tables and chairs were empty, and all that was living stayed dormant in horizontal, cylindrical tubes.

Beyond these rooms and the doors, were the walkways of the ship – luxuriously wide and bare. On one such walkway, where the thick glass windows trailed endlessly down the side of the ship, stood a single figure...

He was a man with an extensive, pale face, drabbed in a smooth, black cape that came down to his shoes. Faced towards the window, with his back towards the sleeping quarters, he stood staring at the desolate void that made up the universe's outer space.

Darkness was everywhere. There was nothing new to be seen.

Before him, the large desert planet seemed empty of any sign of life. _Life..._ he wondered, _what kind of life forms were there on that sandy planet?_ Of course, his master had promised him that there were plenty available. Just like on Earth... the planet they had left from, a long time ago.

Just thinking about it made him hungry, but no matter how pale he was, he would place his master's wishes before his own. He was growing tired, but kept watch over the planet. Soon, he would be on there. _Feeding_ to his heart's content. Fulfilling his master's orders once again.

He stood in silence, staring at the planet. Desert was almost everywhere. There was a portion of the land that appeared to have some colour... almost green to the eye, but he could not be sure. Trees and plants were the entities only found in places like Earth. Other than that, he found numerous dust storms across the planet. They were whirlwinds of sand and dust, giving the deserts a cloudy appearance.

He was about to close his eyes and sleep when he saw an enormous globe of light generated from one of the deserts. His eyes widened in revelation, and he wondered what could have caused it.

As fast as he could, he raced into the sleeping quarters and woke up his master. He led him to the window, and his master watched closely.

A _mix_.

A blend of white and black formed the heart of the explosions that took place somewhere out in the desert field. They had almost missed it, but fortunately, it had occurred again.

When it finally died down, they could easily tell where it originated. The large crater told them all that they needed to know.

Although his master did not say anything, he knew that he was pleased.

'Finally, I've found you... _Vash and Knives_.'


	2. Homecoming

**- Hunted -**

Not far away from the explosion was a village, home for no more than a hundred people. It was a small place to live in, within houses built of stone - apart from the square gaps making up for the windows. Dirt and sand formed the passages that lay between buildings, and after years of fierce gusts of wind, along with the occasional typhoon, the village had adopted a cream coloured shade.

In the heart of the village, two girls stood side by side watching the joyous workers celebrate around a well. All the villagers were well spirited, laughing, and smiling, as the water sprayed over them, wetting them with happiness.

'We did it! We did it!'

'Yeahhhhhhhh!'

'Someone bring out the booze!!'

A dark haired girl, named Meryl Stryfe, stood smiling with her taller work partner, Milly Thompson. They were known as the Benardelli Insurance Girls, known for their frantic job in following the legendary outlaw, Vash the Stampede, and taking steps in order to minimise the total damage that the man did.

Dressed neatly in her favourite plain white clothing - a lengthy white and purple drape, and a petite purple bow, Meryl had no intention in getting wet.

'Isn't it wonderful ma'am?' Milly exclaimed.

Milly had just completed vigorous labour work, and wore a grey, apron like uniform - different from the usual green and sand coloured clothing Meryl was familiar in seeing her in. She had short brown hair that fell to her cheeks - much further down her back, was much taller than Meryl, and always seemed pleased no matter the occasion. In other words - she was a large teddy bear. Yet, with her charmingly cuddly appearance, not much could be said about her personality..

Meryl kept smiling, unsure of whether or not to reply. Her work partner was also her friend, they had been though a lot together.. but Meryl was still having trouble trying to share with her, her thoughts. Maybe it was partially due to the fact that there was an unreasonably high likelihood of Milly accidentally blurting out her secrets.. but still either way, Milly had always seemed to find out what she had been thinking. She began to reminisce of the past, not about Milly, not about her job at the Bernadelli Insurance Headquarters, but about an almost indescribable feeling she had for him.. wondering how things might have been if only she had the courage to tell him…

'Ma'am??'

-_Poof_-

Meryl's thoughts vanished without a trace.

'Ahh!' Meryl stumbled back, blinking to find it was only her friend, Milly, who was leaning extremely close to her face. Eyes that were usually gleeful with delight were staring at her with anxiety.

'Its ok, ma'am.' Milly Thompson looked about the village, searching for a quiet place to talk. The two of them sat down, and there was a moment of silence.

Meryl spoke first.

'I've been thinking..' she said softly, 'where we would be now if we hadn't been given this assignment.' Her gaze slowly dropped to the ground at her feet, and she began to rub one of her boots with the other.

'Why..' Milly replied, 'back in Benardelli of course!' She gave a baby cute grin.

Meryl began to smile then laugh with ease. 'Milly! I didn't mean that! Do you really have to remind me of all the paperwork we still have to do??'

Milly giggled, about to reply, when she got distracted. The sight of workers holding large beer mugs and dancing from street to street caught her attention. Meryl didn't notice. She could only hear her thoughts spoken out loud.

__

The last place I want to be.. is… without him.

She smiled at her thoughts, gaining some determination, so that when she would next see Vash, she would tell him her feelings for him. Meryl lifted her head slowly, her eyes drawing to the horizon, when she saw a flash of light coming from the desert.

A faint gasp came from her mouth.  
She stood up, both eyes staring.

Milly stood up too, head turning in all directions in wonder of what Meryl could suddenly be seeing. She felt a tug on her sleeve, in direction of the growing size of the light.. and she stared up ahead.

It was a small speck of light, growing larger, and larger, to Meryl's delight. _As if the sun was reflecting off, what might be…_ Meryl looked on in uncontrollable anticipation, wishing it was so. The light flashed many times, then a thin outline came into view. Distorted at first, then clearing into the shape of a man.

A man carrying a large burden over his shoulder… His brown and black suit gradually came into view.

It was Vash. Vash the Stampede.

The two of them gasped in delight. Meryl's eyes were beginning to water with happiness. _He came back. Like he promised._

-

Vash the Stampede began to walk over the last hill that separated him from the village he was headed for, looking ahead in search of a reminder of the life he wished to lead. A peaceful life. One with no wars, nor stealing… where people can live as people… where he could live amongst them.

One last foot and the small village would finally be in sight once again. A gentle breeze carrying chalks of sand blew across him. It was almost like a dream. When it cleared, the first thing he saw was.. Meryl.


	3. Almost Destiny

She smiled at first.. The whirl of dust that came between them slightly clouded her vision, and she could only make out a faint outline of Vash… They stood towards each other from a distance… It was a timeless moment.

It was as if time had stopped and paused.. knowing that the two of them had seen so much, been together through so many things - and loved each other so much that they were both afraid to admit it.

They stood there and watched, staring into each other's eyes…

It was a barrier, that always lay between them, no matter the occasion. She had loved him always, but was unsure whether he was able to return the love.

Meryl began to rush towards him, ready to hold onto his clothes and bury her head into his chest - until she saw the motionless body hanging over his shoulder…

She let out a breathless gasp.

Milly felt no different. Her eyes were wide open, staring at the limp figure that was Vash's twin brother.

Vash looked at them, and lowered his eyes. A sharp pang of guilt took over him.

He had hoped that they would never have to see him like this… carrying his brother's body, bearing it like a prized possession - as if he had claimed it from a hunt. Deep inside of him, he had a feeling this was going to happen.. There was no other way.

He felt like a butcher - No ordinary butcher.

A butcher that was dishonoured from society - brutal, murderous, and shameless. Someone who was shunned upon by everyone in the world.

As if he had not felt enough pain, he watched in silence as Milly broke into tears before him, crying softly… before she screamed.

'You _killed_ him! How _could_ _you?!_ _He's your own brother!!_'

They could tell from the bandages, wrapped around Knives - all soaked in blood…

Vash could do nothing but watch as she stormed towards him and struck him across the face. His sunglasses snapped on impact, flying far and tumbling on the ground.

He did not make a move. Because his heart was already broken…

What had he done to deserve all of this. It wasn't the first time Milly had hit him. He had played the villain back in Demislad, when he had faked a couple's death without Milly knowing. This, still, was _different_.

Milly began sobbing loudly, and he could not tell how long it was before Meryl finally spoke. There were tears in her eyes.

'Did you… kill him?'

The crying paused as Milly looked up, to find no emotion on Vash's face. There was silence between them, and Vash's eyes stared blankly at the sky above them.

Meryl waited for an answer, but there was none. She did not have to ask again. She already knew the answer.

Vash's eyes flickered to meet Meryl's eyes, and he could tell how much he had hurt her. Only then did Milly began to drop to her knees, sobbing quietly.

What _alternative_ did he have?

He began to walk away, brushing himself by Meryl's sleeve… They did nothing to stop him, not even turn around to watch him.. He had _seen_ her eyes, filled with sorrow.. but hardly was there contentment. He chose this path because he did not want to hurt her, but he did... and now he became the Devil.

Before he made it out of the hearing of the two girls, one last question gave way from Meryl's lips. She spoke through the tears that streamed from her eyes.

'Is it.. over?'

Vash stopped to stare at the town that opened before him. They faced in opposite directions. It was silent, even with the gentle wind.

'..Yes.'

Slowly, he turned around, and Meryl did the same.

'…Will we ever see you again?' asked Meryl, fighting back her tears.

Vash looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy, then looked away. There was still one last place he had to go to.

'I just need some time.. alone…' he said, before he turned and walked away.

-

Somewhere close by, a stooped figure, hidden in obscurity, remained motionless at the square window that gave view to the world outside. He leaned forward in curiosity, watching the blond haired man dressed in brown and black carry a white body into the village. Other than the insurance girls, only he had seen the small speck of light approach the village. Only he was watching when the blond haired man placed the body in the passenger seat of a car, leapt in and turned on the ignition, before driving off into the distance.


	4. Dark Green Hills

The jeep's engine emitted a low hum as it sped across the barren terrain. The dark green and brown vehicle was large in size, and was capable of carrying up to four passengers at a time. From the small village, it looked nothing more than a peculiar rock rolling with the wind. Out here, there was little, or perhaps, no sign of life evident.

The driver stepped harder on a pedal, causing the tyres to kick more dust and dirt behind them. Beside him, still unconscious, lay his brother, Knives – and in the back seat, slept a small, black cat.

All alone, he watched as the surroundings changed from orange to grey... more cliffs and dunes passed by in a blurred haze.

They were on much rockier ground, passing from desert to low plateaus, but already, Vash could notice the sun loosing its flare.. Soon, night was going to be upon them...

He stared at the horizon, an endless distance away from him, the shadows growing from his destination with each second that passed by.

__

We're not like God. Not only are our powers limited... but we sometimes have to play the Devil.

Someone close to him had once told him that.

Flashes of his friend's face, clothing and shades appeared in his mind.

It was a time... not long ago, when he had taken things for granted. He had always gone in one direction, and his friend in the other. No matter what the situation was, he remained certain that he was doing the right thing – that there were plenty of ways to save everyone.

Only now did he realise how absurd it was.

No matter how hard he had tried... he had failed in the end.

__

I'm sorry, Nicholas.

Although he never had once believed his friend's words, he valued it now..

He thought about what had happened earlier... between him and the girls. Her eyes had somehow lost part its shine, and he had caused it. She did not have to be there for him, but she continued to persist solely on the reason that her job depended on it, and he could tell that it wasn't entirely true.

He knew for a long time that she was in love with him, but he never responded to it. There had always been a reserved feeling of affection for her, but he had forced himself to detach himself from it because of the threat of others.

Never had he thought about how hard _she_ had tried.

From the way Meryl had helped him in his struggles...

He knew by the way she looked at him, sang with him, and sewed for him that she had never given up on trying to please him. It reminded him of the way he felt for Rem... And that was why he was going to return the favour tonight.

__

...Gunshots.

Vash blinked and wondered if it was his imagination. Ahead of him, the tip of the sun had finally descended beneath the horizon. The sky was becoming darker every second. He turned and glanced behind him to see nothing but the occasional rise and fall of the barren land, with dark green hills in the distance. Knives was still in the seat beside him, and the cat was still sleeping. He must have been driving unconsciously for hours. But he felt it... as if something was wrong.

'Dark green hills...' said Vash, deep in thought.

The colour formed slowly in his mind, and instantly he knew something was _very_ wrong.

He only had time to duck to one side, when the speeding bullet came in from nowhere – shattering the rear-view mirror originally behind him. Glass flew everywhere.

The cat awoke in a fright.

Vash still ducking, gripped the steering wheel and pulled hard, left and right. He could hear the roar of the echoing engines – the dark green jeeps fast in pursuit.

__

Damnit, where were they coming from?

A spray of bullets hailed onto his car, slicing through the chairs like Swiss cheese before slamming into the windscreen ahead of him. One had missed his head by only too much. The bullet pierced by his cheek like a paper-cut – a hint of blood released from it.

__

That's the last straw.

In the blink of an eye, Vash whipped out his gun with one hand, and fired behind him – the bullet colliding with the driver's steering wheel, causing the driver to loose control over the jeep, spinning him and his passengers off-track. Vash began to notice how many more there were...

A total of nine jeeps was after him, excluding the one he knocked off earlier, each with a driver, and at least two gunners on the side. They were dressed in clothes with no obvious pattern – cowboy hats, bandanas, and steel caps atop angry faces. Ordinary civilians.

__

What on earth did they want??

Vash ducked behind his chair and focused on his driving. He must have been spotted by one of the towns he passed by. Some towns were still, chiefly, anti-Vash.

More bullets rained on him as he sped off to the left, aiming for the large boulder that appeared a distance away. He heard only faint voices behind him, their war cries swallowed up by the roaring noise of gunfire. They were gaining on him, and Vash realised he not only had to save himself – but Knives also.

His eyes narrowed slightly as the destination became larger in size, his jeep seconds away from impact. _This is going to be close._

'_Hang_ on, Knives!' yelled Vash.

He placed one hand over his brother's chest and pressed him against the chair.

As the boulder came into range, Vash pulled hard onto the steering wheel and slammed his foot onto the brakes, drawing a curving 'C' just around the boulder. It worked just as planned. A number of cars came in too fast. Unable to avoid the large stone, the first wave of vehicles turned somewhat miserably, crashing sideways into the solid rock.

There were still five cars left.

Vash drove erratically, sliding from side to side – just managing to dodge the speeding bullets. But that wasn't his intention – he kicked more dust and dirt from his tyres, causing his pursuers to be blinded by the miniature dust storms.

Two of the cars had no chance.

'Oh shit!' The driver steered to one side, narrowly missing a small cluster of jagged rocks. The car beside him did the same but in the opposite direction – the two cars smashing into each other in a loud, grinding collision.

Vash fired more shots behind him, hitting the front tyres of the cars behind him, spinning the cars to a halt. Several of the standing gunners lost balance and fell, tumbling over the jagged ground. He could hear the cars screeching over the rough terrain, the drivers swearing and gunners still firing even though it was pointless at that time to do so. Some distance passed between them, and Vash eventually slowed down believing that the attack was over.

He was wrong.


	5. The Bounty Is High

Even though his rear-view mirror was broken beyond belief, Vash noticed there was still one last jeep on his tail. Bullets fired from a submachine gun pounded into the rear of his car – punching holes into the fuel tank.

'Oh maan!'

He sped up, applying the same stunts he performed to fool all the other cars earlier, but for some reason, it kept chase.

'So, you have some skill at the wheel..' said Vash calmly, glancing behind...

It wasn't like the others. The jeep behind him was grey in colour, with only two passengers. And they weren't wearing checkered shirts...

A volley of bullets sent him ducking, eyes darting in reflex. The shots were much closer this time. He had hardly begun to speed up when a strong beeping noise came from the front. Vash stared at the screen. He was loosing fuel severely – he could hear the petrol trickling from his jeep.

Vash hit the brakes with a stunt. Gripping the wheel tightly, he brought the jeep sliding on its front wheels – spinning to face the pursuer whilst _still_ keeping the car driving in the same direction.

He drew out his silver revolver, short of no mistake.

Bullets soared between the two cars, plummeting hard on windscreens, dashboards, and seats – but the man with the gun, covered from head to toe in black, was already in motion. The driver had launched his car into Vash's, ramming the two engines of the cars together – jolting Vash and Knives forwards on impact. Vash's wrist slammed hard on the jeep's windscreen, snapping his hand forwards in pain – his gun falling atop the engine of the car... sliding towards the other.

It had happened when the gunner was in midair. He had tossed away his gun – empty of bullets – and unsheathed a long blade, now held high above Vash. Everything happened in slow motion...

Vash pulled himself out from his chair and scrambled over the windscreen.. just as the blade came down behind Vash, plunging deep between his legs. Vash rolled over the windscreen in time to avoid a serrated knife that swiped at his feet. He dived for his gun, body skidding over to the second engine, a hand retrieving the revolver in a smooth motion. It looked as if he had practiced the routine for years, but it came naturally to Vash. Arms poised high, he aimed the gun at the figure standing in his car, and signalled him.

'Checkmate.' Vash's eyes stared at his defeated enemy.

The bounty hunter dressed in black paused with the dagger in his gloved hand. His clothes had only begun to camouflage as the moon slowly rose to the sky... His dagger was poised over the passenger chair... The chair that sat...

...'_Knives!' _thought Vash, alarmed.

He realised then that his attackers weren't after him – _they were after Knives!_

The bounty hunter was right above his brother. Gleaming in the moonlight, the sharp dagger was held ready to plunge down on Knives' head. Nevertheless Vash was watching, so the man did not dare to move. For a few seconds, no one moved...

... until Vash noticed the man nod in reply.

Instantly, a jagged wire fell below Vash's chin and coiled around his neck, placing Vash in a stranglehold. He choked, loosing aim on his target, and dropping his gun for a second time. The man behind him grunted, pulling tighter – the wire rubbing against his victim's throat. Vash gasped for air, his hands gripping desperately onto the wire – cutting his fingers from the sharp edges. All this time, he had forgotten the driver, and now he was going to watch his brother die.

Although his vision blurred throughout the struggle against the driver, Vash was still able to witness clearly the dark assassin sending the blade down upon Knives. Still able to find the strength to stand, elbow his strangler, and project his hidden secondary gun to fire at the enemy. His arm retracted, revealing the metallic trigger and muzzle that was built beneath, and in a split microsecond he had the gun aimed at the man's knife.

In Vash's eyes, he knew it was too late. Even if he were capable of hitting the knife and breaking the blade off the handle, he would probably not be able to stop the remaining shard of metal from entering Knives' head. Not even if he killed the man.

There was only one way to find out.

He took the chance anyway.

The gun fired and the bullets crashed into the knife smashing it easily, but it was still not enough to keep it from coming down. Vash began to cry out in desperation, but he did not have to. A small, dark object crashed into the assassin's arm throwing his dagger off course – and sending the man over the edge. It was the claws and the teeth that gave it away.

The cat had saved Knives' life.

Behind him, the driver came at him, but Vash had already spun around – his left arm gun pointed towards the man. He watched his attacker back off. The man's palms held high, suggesting his surrender. Then, nervously, but rather hastily, the driver leapt off from his car to join his partner, tumbling over the ground.

At last, Vash breathed out a great sigh of relief. He stood in between the two cars, his feet placed firmly on the engine of the one that rammed his. The two jeeps were still moving, the grey vehicle pushing his jeep. Pausing only to retract his built-in gun, he kneeled over to reclaim his dropped revolver.. but he noticed the small metal device that appeared through its reflection in the moonlight...

Vash lunged over the battered windscreen of his car and stopped by the dashboard. He grabbed Knives by both shoulders and swung him onto his shoulder in haste. Ahead of him now, right where the jeeps were heading was a deep and wide canyon. At this hour and in this position, it looked more like a bottomless pit. He was heading straight off a cliff and into a canyon that was now less than 50 metres away.

He leapt onto the back seat of the car, supporting Knives' weight, and prepared himself for the jump. A soft 'meow' came from behind, and he realised he had forgotten about the cat. The bomb he had spotted was ticking away furiously.

'Waaah!!' screamed Vash, beginning to panic. He bent down, reaching for the cat that sat in the front seat of the car. With Knives weighing like a tonne, he could not stretch the extra distance to take hold of the cat... it was avoiding him.

'C'mon cat..! I know you don't like me but not at this time!'

Vash looked around frantically. He needed a stick. Anything.

'Oh _please_ _little kitty_! I'm not going to bite!' The ticking increased in pace. Any moment now, it was going to blow and take the three of them down for an explosive ride down the canyon.

' Ok, ok little kitty! I'll feed you a fish fortune when we get back! _Now please, I beg of you!'_

To his dismay, as if the cat understood everything, it pounced onto his arm and hurried up onto his empty shoulder. Finally without delay, Vash leapt out of the car with Knives and Co., landing hard onto the ground to watch the two jeeps launch over the edge at full speed – exploding in a great ball of fire and showering the canyon with flaming ruins.


	6. A Starlit Night

The flame of a candle slightly waned as the wind slipped through the window of the small, quiet room. It was night time, the moon was up high, and the stars that she loved to watch were twinkling beautifully in the skies.. but she did not notice them at all.

Lying peacefully asleep in the room, her body leaned against the edge of her firm, mahogany desk, and her head rested over her arm. Before her on the desk, glowed the small candle. Positioned just outside her fingertips stood a photo.. of her, her parents, and her cousin.

In the photo, she was a young girl, smiling happily and innocently, her parents behind her with their hands on her shoulders, and beside her, her cousin. She was an only child, with an adorable and delicate face and beautiful lockets of blond hair.

Now she was older. No longer the innocent child nor the girl her parents wanted her to become. A Marshal of Sanford…

The town was renowned for the massive evacuation that took place many weeks ago, when a man named Cliff Schezar had secretly monopolized all the water beneath the town's surface. It resulted in suffering. The people were dehydrated of water. The crops and vegetation had spoiled and died. And nothing on the land could grow. It was only when a tall, blond haired man in red came by to act as Cliff's bodyguard did the truth unfold, and the land became prosperous again…

She woke up somewhat startled.

Slowly, she pulled herself upright on her chair and rubbed her eyes. _How long have I been sleeping for?_

Her question was answered when she noticed how much shorter the wick on her candle had become. Already, the candle was less than a third as tall as it was before she had dozed off. She leaned forward onto the table and rubbed her arms. It was getting cold.

Her usual on-duty uniform had long sleeves, a neck-warming collar and pants, both coloured dark red. It was nearby on a clothes hanger.

She must have forgotten to put them on. At the moment, she was wearing a thin, white blouse, and teal coloured shorts. It had been hot in the afternoon.

She was about to back away from her table and change but her eyes caught hold of the photo frame that appeared out of place on her table. _How did this get there?_

As she held it and put it back in its original position, she stopped to notice the faces in the photo. Her mum and dad were smiling, not as much as she was, but enough to make it happy. It was illogical of course, so many things had happened since they had taken that photo. _For one thing, dad has a lot more wrinkles now. _She wondered what he was doing now. She had left home so long ago.

Still, there was one thing she had almost forgotten. The boy in the photo stared back at her, not smiling. It was her cousin. Her only cousin, and the only company she had in her youth. He was like an older brother to her…

Tears began to form in her eyes, and she was blinking hard, trying to hold them at bay…

But then she heard gunshots being fired away in the distance, followed by faint screams. Quickly, on reflex, she pulled out her drawer and picked up her gun, a Browning Automatic. .38 Calibre. Hurriedly tip-toeing towards the window, she held both hands on her gun, readying herself for any surprises. She peered out the window, just as more shots were fired.

There were rows of trucks and cars. Endless, countless rows of them.

Criminals of all sorts were packing their vehicles with ammunition, small arm pistols, grenades and explosives. They screamed warlike cries and zoomed off into the distance, guns blaring.

'What on earth..?' she whispered.

It did not make any sense - why would at least twenty armed men just leave a town and head off in one direction. A _war_?

She decided to get a closer look. At least try to get some answers from any local witnesses.

She opened the door, and closed it behind her, turning to look for anyone she could speak to. Under the dim lighting of the moonlight and the stars, she tried spotting movement along the dark streets and alleyways. It was very cold, and she was beginning to regret not changing before she walked out.

Icy gusts of wind hit her from behind. The further she walked down the streets, the more goosebumps were appearing on her bare arms and legs.

Her own footsteps were all that she heard other than the wind. She noticed that the houses along the streets all had their lights on inside, but as soon as she passed… they slowly dimmed out.

__

Was it because of her? It almost felt as if she was being watched. As if the whole town was damned…

She shook the idea out of her head.

And then she spotted someone.

The blurred outline of a man wearing some sort of hat focused into view once she came closer, her hands now holding the gun in front of her. She heard a hammer in motion. The man was wearing a cowboy hat was holding a hammer and driving it into a wall.. or perhaps…

__

Breaking into a someone's house..!

She hurried towards him, cocking her gun as she went. She was still a distance away, when it sounded as if the burglar had finally broken down the door for good - then she launched herself into the clearance.

'Freeze.' Her gun levelled at the man's head.

Slowly, the man dropped the hammer, and numerous nails onto the ground.. Then turned around, with a frown.

'Marianne! What are you doing here.. Dressed like that…?'

The man suddenly paused and wide-eyed her from top to bottom, without any haste.

She had made a big mistake. A _very _big mistake. Who she had thought was a malevolent offender of the law, turned out to be her own law enforcement partner. Another Marshal in town.

He was older than her, and had closely cropped brown hair. Usually there was only one Marshal in town, but because of the crime rate in Sanford, there were two. Only for some reason, he had not helped her in her attempt to restore the water back to the land. He was on his side of town, and she was on her side… but he had never seen her dressed like this.

The young woman whose name was Marianne blushed red, even though it was impossible for the man to notice in the dark.

'Just.. having a night stroll..' She lowered her gun subtly but rather sheepishly. 'So.. um, what were you doing back here anyway.. John?'

Gradually, her partner removed his eyes away from her, and glanced at the wall.

'Oh, it's just a new poster I'm adding to the collection.' He gave a soft chuckle and tapped his fingers against the wall. 'Frankly, I don't even know who in the world would want to set up another wanted poster, especially since the first one had failed beyond belief.'

Her mind was still a little behind, her thoughts even now set on the very embarrassing moment earlier. 'Oh..' was all she said.

'Anyway, I'm off to hit the sack now,' continued her partner, John. 'In case you're wondering, there won't be much action around here any more so its best to get prepared. It might even be a good time to take a short vacation actually. Night.'

'Night,' replied Marianne.

She waited until John had disappeared into the night before she walked over to inspect what he had hammered up. The words on top, even in black, stood out clearly from any good distance. Her eyes lowered to the middle of the poster, where she found that she could no longer grasp the meaning of the words. She let out a faint but startled cry.

All she could do was stare at the words.


	7. Poster

****

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
WANTED  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

DEAD OR ALIVE

****

EITHER WILL DO

REWARD:

100,000,000,000,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Vash the Stampede  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Height: ??

Weight: ??

Age: ??

Wanted for the murder of

Count Lebnant Vasques,

suspicion of class-G

property damage and the

hole in the fifth moon.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

- - - - - - - - - - -  
Knives  
- - - - - - - - - - -

Height: ??

Weight: ??

Age: ??

Wanted for assistance

with Vash's destruction.

Possibly Vash's brother.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

Both last spotted in village 200 iles from LR.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


	8. From The Heavens

Vash sat still, leaning back upon a large, solid rock, eyes gazing into the amber flames of the campfire. He watched in silence as the sparks danced around its fiery borders, crackling and vanishing in a recurring rhythm.

Again, the wind howled and wailed all around him. No matter how much wood he fed the fire, Vash could still feel the chilling wind… piercing through his clothes - the brown and black suit offering little protection from the cold. He huddled closer to the rock, and wondered if he could last the night.

He had taken shelter within the best rock formation he could find - a ring of sand coloured boulders shielded them, to some degree, from the wind… and watchful eyes. At the most, only those most dedicated in hunting him would dare stand atop the distant cliff and spot him..

Vash shook the idea out of his mind. _Too many bounty hunters meant too much paranoia!_

He looked at his brother, lying motionless beside the campfire. The cat was curled up next to his brother, sleeping without a sound. It looked so welcoming.

Vash thought about moving again, putting out the fire, and carrying Knives and the cat off further into the desert.. but he was tired. _Just a bit longer._

He thought about his old clothes.. the red coat that he had left behind. He had flung his coat into the sky, in triumph and pride. In that moment, he felt countless emotions rush back to him. The ones that he had lost through so much pain.

Joy.. love.. happiness.. Finally, he could put an end to his past, and see the future…

But then a dreadful thought struck his mind - _What if the ordeal had not ended, and he had thrown away his coat forever…?_

Vash forced himself to think of something else.

His mind was half aware of the growing loudness of the wind at hand.

He started to recall the last things she had said to him before he had left the village…

Vash closed his eyes.

-

'_Please,_ _wait_ -'

The sound of Meryl's voice echoed faintly in his head, and he paused. Vash raised his head slowly, and turned around, still holding Knives.

'Vash..' said Meryl softly, her voice fading.

She stopped to face him; her hair partly shielding her eyes. Gradually, she looked towards the ground, avoiding his gaze.

They stood before each other beside the house at the end of the town, both thinking of what to say. She began to speak, but what came out was only as audible as a whisper.

'I.. I know you have to go, but please tell me you'll return..'

Vash looked down in thought. He wanted to tell her that everything was alright, and that he'll be back with her just like the old times. It could work… but then again it could not.

He will always be hunted. And those closest to him always die.

'.. I know that it might be too much to ask,' continued Meryl, looking away, 'but I had this feeling.. if I never tell you now.. about I how feel… then..' Her voice trailed off. 'It's just..' She paused momentarily, and when she spoke again, her voice was shaky. 'Whenever I want to tell you something, I feel as if it'd turn all wrong.. so that what I tell you, would change things completely, between us.' She breathed in deeply, then exhaled. 'I wanted to tell you this for a long time now.. now that it's over.. perhaps you can live the way you always wanted.. and I'll… I guess what I'm trying to say is that…' Her eyes widened, and she looked into his. 'I lo-'

Before Meryl could finish her sentence, a deafening crash came from a building nearby. In a flash, she felt herself being pulled forward - Vash's arm firmly around her waist pressing her body against his. He had also pulled out his gun and pointed it towards the window where the sound had originated.

Neither of them spoke nor moved.

Meryl could feel Vash's heartbeat - a cool, calm and steady rhythm. The volume of her own heartbeat however, was ascending. It was only a brief moment of being in his embrace but it felt more like an eternity, and it wasn't long before her cheeks turned bright pink.

Seconds passed…

…and finally she felt his arm loosen over her as he lowered his gun to return it to his holster. By the time Meryl took a tentative step back, she was lost for words.

'Sorry, you were saying?' Vash's blue eyes stared back truthfully; a slight smile showed on his face. She only had time to blink before he spoke again. 'I better go.'

-

In the darkness confined in the room of a house nearby, a lone old man had witnessed all that had happened. His eyes had enlarged when he heard that Vash the Stampede had a brother… and killed him.

After he had eavesdropped enough, he backed away from the window but stumbled clumsily over a stool positioned behind him - desperately grasping a nearby table for support. He wheezed out a short sigh of relief, and in the darkness, the old man searched, by sense of touch, for his walking stick. When he found it, he began to hoist himself carefully, with his eyes fixed on his feet… but stopped.

Even in the dark, he sensed someone close at hand.

A figure, malevolently tall and looming stood a distance away, watching him move.. in the same room. Instantly, a wave of horror and trepidation swept over the man, as he dropped his stick erratically, and fell to the ground. As it approached, he became aware of the brightness of the room - suddenly fading - and in that moment, right or wrong, knew with inexorable judgement that the world outside was deteriorating with death and decay.

Now, he was in the presence of the greatest evil at hand, with a face so sinister, he could not define.

The eyes of the man before him shot blood red, and now he knew exactly how much longer he would live. Old and shaken, he still wished to live, and reasoning was the only way he could survive.

'Wh..What do you want?'

In the breeze of the wind, the being's cape came into reach of the old man - raggedly caressing the man's face. In the dark, he found his throat horribly sore and dry, his body locked in a position where he could not, dared not, move.

A low male voice responded to his question. To his surprise, it was nothing of the voice of a misshapen fiend. Not the rasping voice of an undead soul, but a soothing, almost tranquil voice that seemed to speak from the heavens.

'Tell me everything you saw.'

* * *

**Author's Note** (19th Sep):

Hope you had a nice read this time round!

I was quite surprised to get such good reviews over my last few chapters, so I've tried my best to keep it up to your expectations...hmm I don't know how these chapters will fare but please let me know if you're liking it so far! I admit they weren't all that exciting for me to write up but now that that's over with, you can be sure to find alot more conflict and action in the next update ;)

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again soon!


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